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Thera 2.10: Vasabha
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(130):Vasabha Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =130. Vasabha= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Vesāli, as the son of a Licchavi raja,1 he was won over by the majesty of the Buddha when the latter went to Vesāli, and left the world(for monkhood). In due course he won arahantship(enlightenment), and thereafter, gracious to his patrons, he did not reject the necessaries they provided, but enjoyed what he received. The common-minded deemed him self-indulgent, but he continued taking no account of them. But near him lived a fraudulent bhikkhu, who deceived the people by pretending to lead the simple life, content with little, and was honoured by them. Then Sakka, ruler of the devas(gods), discerned this, and came to Vasabha Thera and asked: 'Your reverence, what is it that an impostor does?' The Thera, in rebuke to that evil-doer, replied: ---- 139 Pubbe hanti attānaɱ pacchā hanti so pare,|| Suhataɱ hanti attānaɱ vītaseneva pakkhimā.|| || 140 Na brāhmaṇo bahivaṇṇo anto vaṇṇo hi brāhmaṇo,|| Yasumiɱ pāpani kammāni sa ve kaṇho sujampatī' ti.|| || ---- 139 He sure did work destruction to himself; Thereafter did he ruin other men. Most throughly works he mischief to himself, Even as decoy-bird2 by its own deceit. 140 No brahmin(priest) he, by outward colour judged. By inner hue shall you the brahmin(priest) know. He in whom deeds show evil, even he Is swarth of face, O consort of Suja.3 ---- 1 See above, p. 54, n. 4. 2 Cf. vītaṃsa-kakkaro, the decoy jungle-cock in Jāt., ii. 161. 3 Sujampati, a title given to Sakka, whose consort-goddess was Sujā. On the spiritual complexion, cf. Dīgha-Nikāya, Suttantas iii., iv., and xxvii; Sutta Nipāta, Vāseṭṭha-Sutta. ---- =2.1-10 130 Commentary on the stanza of Vasabhatthera= The stanza starting with pubbe hanati attānaṃ constitutes that of the venerable Thera Vasabha. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deed of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, was reborn in a brahmin family in the world bereft of Buddhas. On having come of age, he reached proficiency in the arts and sciences of the brahmins, gave up his household life, because of his bent or renunciation, became a renounced recluse as a hermit, had his retinue (parivāro) of fourteen thousand hermits, and his hermitage built on a hill named Samagga not far from Himavanta. While living there he had his jhāna and higher knowledge (abhiññā) sprung up and so he kept on giving advice and instruction to the hermits, he one day thought thus: “Indeed, now, I live being honoured, revered and reverentially offered by these hermits; one who ought to be reverentially honoured by me is not to be obtained; miserable (dukkho), indeed, however, is this in the world, namely, life without a venerable teacher.” having, however, thought over in this manner, he remembered his reverential offering made and personal respect (pūjāsakkāraṃ) paid by himself to the shrines of former Buddhas, owing to his devoted deeds of service toward former Buddhas, and said to himself thus: “What if I were to have built a sand-shrine in dedication to former Buddhas and were to made my reverential offerings to the same.” He became joyful and satisfied, created a sand shrine made of gold by means of his magical powers, made reverential offering daily with flowers to the extent of three thousand in number, made of gold, etc., performed meritorious deeds as long as his life-span lasted died as one with all-round undiminished jhāna and sprang up in the world of brahmā. There also he led the life of a brahmā as long as his life-span lasted and having passed away thence, he was reborn in Tāvatiṃsa. Wandering about his rounds of repeated rebirhts now and then among gods and men, he came to be reborn in the royal family of Licchavī, in Vesālī, when this Buddha arose. He gained the name Vasabha and on having come of age, he happened to have seen the power of Buddha when the Blessed One went to Vasālī, aptly gained pious faith, became a monk, placed himself in the path of spiritual insight and attained Arahantship but before long. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “Not far from Himavanta, there was a hill, named Samagga. A hermitage was well built for me, a leaf-hall well created. Known by the name of Narada, I wore my braided hair and was a mighty man of self-mortificatiion. Fourteen thousand pupils attended upon me. In my solitude and calm, I then thought over in this manner. The entire multitude made their reverential offering to me; I did not have to do honour to any one. There was no one to advise me. There existed none to do ny duties to. Without any teacher and preceptor, I took up my abode in the forest. Sitting near whomever I wanted to be minded of my teacher to offer him my service; that teacher did not exist for me; my life in the forest was of no benefit (to me). I shall be in search of a worthy reci- pient of my offering, likewise a teacher to be respected (bhāvanīyaṃ); with my refuge (avassaya) I shall live; no one will reproach me. Small rivers with shallow sloping shores, good landing spots and delightful as well as strewn with cleanly pure sand were not far from my hermitage. To the river named Amarika, I approached then; having well heaped the sand, I set up a sand shrine. Those self-awakened Buddhas who were sages, makers of end of existence; this-like solid shrine (thūpa) of them, I made that charac- teristic (nimitta). Having made a sand shrine, I created (it to be) gold. I made reverential offering to three thousand flowers of gold shaped like small bells (kiṅkani) Evening and morning did I adore, overcome with awe I clasped my hands; as in the presence of the self-awakened Buddha, I paid my homage to the sand shrine. As and when there arose every depravity. (kilesa) and wild thoughts (vitakka) con- nected with worldly life of household, I did remember the pagoda well-made and there and then reflected upon it. My friend! It is not befitting for you that you would cohabit amidst depravity (kilesa), living close by (upanissāya) the caravan leader, the clear Guide of the world (vināyaka). As and when the shrine was reflected upon, there was my respect then; I definitely dispelled (vinodesiṃ) wicked thoughts similar to an elephant avoiding the distress of the guiding goad (tuttaṭṭito). King of death specially trod on (abhimaddatha) me, who was living in this manner. When I did die ther I went to the world of brahmā. Having lived as long as my life-span lasted, I sprang up in Tāvataṃsa. For eighty times, I was a divine king who exercised celestial sovereignty. Three hundred times also, I became a world- king; regional reign was in abundance (vipulaṃ), numerically incalculable (gananato asaṅkhiyaṃ). I enjoyed the fruitful result (vipāka) of (my offering of) gold flowers shaped like small bells. A hundred thousand wet nurses (dhāti) surrounded me in (this) existence. Because I had all-round attended upon the shrine, dusty and muddy dirt did not smear me; on my body sweat did not come out; I became shining with beauty. Wonderful was the shrine well set up by me; the river Amarikā was well found. Having set up a sand shrine. I attained the stable (acalaṃ) path. There is neither fieldful not fieldless (khettaṃ akhettaṃ) for a creature (jantunā) who is desirious of doing good deed and who strives after essence (sāragahinā); it is the accomplishing (sādhakā) of but proper practice (paṭipatti). Just as also a strong masculine man, in making his effort (ussāna) to cross (tarituṃ) the ocean (annavaṃ) caught hold of (ādāya) a piece of tiny (parittaṃ) timber (kaṭṭhaṃ) and would spring forward (pakkhandeyya) across the large lake, depending upon this lunber- wood (kaṭṭhaṃ) I shall go across the big ocean (udadhiṃ). A man should cross the ocean with (his) effort and exertion. Likewise even, this deed done by me might be tiny and meagre; closely depending upon that deed, I did well- cross the sea of saṃsāra. When my final existence well arrived, being urged by my bright basis (sukkamūla) I was born in the city of Sāvatthi in an excellently wealthy and greatly pros- perous (family). My mother and father were piously faithful (saddhā) and had gone to Buddha as their refuge. Both of these (parents) had found out the path (diṭṭhapada) and followed the instruction (of Buddha). They got hold of a sprout (papaṭika) of the bodhi tree and set up a gold shrine. They adored (it) evening and morning in the presence of the Sākiyan Son. On the day of Sabbath, they reveredly took out the gold shrine (sonnathūpaṃ vinīharuṃ) ; they spent the three watches (of the night) extolling (kitten- tā) the praise (vannaṃ) of Buddha. As and when I saw the shrine, I remembered (my) sand shrine. Having sat down alone on a single seat, I attained Arahantship. Searching for that Hero, I met the Commander-in-chief of dhamma; having come out from (my) household life I became a monk in his presence. In the seventh year from (my) birth, I attained Arahantship. Buddha, the possessor of eye (cakkhumā) having come to know (my) quality had me ordained. By me who was yet young what should be done had been accomplished. Today in the dispensation of the Sākiyan Son, whatever ought to be done had been done by me. O Ascetic, who had gone beyond all enmities and dangers and had gone past all attachments, O Great Hero! I am your disciple; this is the fruitful result of the gold shrine. My depravity had been burnt; … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, attained Arahantship, in order to do sympathetic protection (anuggahaṃ) to donors, he did not reject (paṭikhipati) the recluse’s requisites (paccaya) offered (as charity) by them; he partook of them even according as gained by him. Ordinary common monks and lay people (puthujjana), thinking thus; “This one is of abundant bodily vigour and ungrarded mind,” had no regard for him. The Thera dwelt but without taking any notice (aganento) of it. Not far from him, however, there lived a certain deceitful monk, who, though having evil desires, was showing himself as if he were of few wants and contented, deceiving the people (loka). The multitude of people honoured him resembling an Arahant. Then, it so happened (assa), Sakka, the sovereign of divine-beings, came to know of that matter (pavattiṃ), approached the Thera and asked thus; “Venerable Sir! What, namely, does a deceitful man do?” The Thera spoke two stanzas blaming the evil desire thus:– 139. “First of all he kills himself; later he kills others. He made a good killing of himself, similar to the fowler with his decoy bird. 240. “A brahmin is not characterised by external colour, indeed, a brahmin is the colour inside (antovanno). O Lord of Sujā! He, there are evil deeds.” There, pubbehanati attānaṃ means; a deceitful person, in deceiving the people (lokaṃ) by means of his deceitful conduct, but first of all, kills himself by means of such evil deeds (dhamma) as evil desire, etc.; he destroys his own share of good deed. Pacchā hanati so pare means: that cheat now, having first of all killed himself by the said method, later, destroys others by means of the ruination of recluse’s requisites (paccayavināsana) after having made the doings of theirs (tesaṃ kārāni) which had been done in himself, not much fruitful; he kills them by whom had been done either makings with honour or by their saying thus; “This monk is conscientious (pesalo) and noble (ariyo).” When there is also both killings of a cheat, this, however, is the distinctive difference (visesa) in the killing of self; thus, in order to show, he said; suhataṃ hanti attānaṃ. That cheat (kuhako), in killing himself, kills and destroys after having made effective killing (suhataṃ); like what? Vītaṃ seneva pakkhimā (is his answer). Vītaṃso means decay bird (dīpaka sakuno), by means of it. Pakkhimā means: fowler (sākuniko). Just as (a fowler) in killing, after deceiving, other birds by means of that decay bird (of his), kills himself in this world also, owing to such a nature, etc., as the offence of being blamed by wisemen; hererafter (samparāyan), however, he but kills (himself) also owing to all-round depravity (kilesa) of evil existence (duggati); but not, however, is he able to kill afterwards those birds; in the same way the chest (kuhako) also, after having deceived the people (lokaṃ) by means of his fraud (kohaññā) kills himself, here, in this world also, by means of his remorse and reproach by wise people and so on; in the other world hereafter also, (he kills himself) on account of all-round depravity (parikkilesehi) in the evil existence; on the other hand, however, he does not make those donors of recluse’s requisites (paccayadāyake) reach the misery of purgatory (apāyadukkha). Nevertheless the cheat, but by his being instrumental in creation for the dedicated offering (dakkhina) such a condition as does not bear much fruitful result, kills the doner; thus, it has been said by the Blessed One thus:– “Having gaven charitable offering to a human being of bad moral percept, fruition of a thousand times of dedicated donation should be expected.” Therefore, he said: “Suhataṃ hanti attānaṃ.” In this way, individuals who stood having all-round cleansed to the extent of outside are not said to be pure; by purifying internally only even, they are pure; in order to point out thus, he spoke the second stanza starting with “Na brāhmano.” The meaning of that stanza is:– He is not a pure personage (brāhmana) just because of mere external prosperity of such a category as mode of movements (iriyāpatha) and adjustments (sanṭhāpana) , etc. Indeed, here, the word that means prosperity (sampatti) is vanna. He is a pure personage because of the prosperity of such a quality as good moral precept and so on especially internally (abbhantare), however, after having done thus:– “Bāhitapāpo brahmano (the brahmin who had ousted evil).” Therefore, Sūjappati (O Sovereign of divine brings!) You might know thus: “Yasmiṃ (in whom), pāpāni kammāni (evil inferior deeds) well exist (saṃvijjanti) he is definitely (ekaṃsena) a kanho (a black) degraded (nihāna) individual.” On having heard it, Sakka frightened the fraudulent monk, advised him saying: “You should fare yourself (vattāhi) in righteousness (dhamma), and went but to his own abode (sakaṭṭhāna). The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Vasabha is complete. The Commentary on the first Chapter in the Second Section is complete. ----